Introverts – INFJ Ramblings

Lithium Orotate Anxiety Benefits: The Mineral For Mood Disorders

Sun, 21 Aug 2016 04:11:31 +0000

There are many ways to deal with anxiety and depression, one of which is as easy as taking the right supplement every day. Lithium Orotate anxiety supplement is a great addition for anyone struggling with these issues. Lithium Orotate benefits most types of mood disorders

Quiet, reserved, thoughtful and deep – these are just a few words that perfectly describe people with introverted personalities. These traits are wonderful in many ways, but people who fall under the INxx personality types have higher sensitivities, making them prone to unique health problems such as anxiety, depression or other mood
disorders.

Being introverted doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do about being prone to these mood disorders.

(The following post is a guest post from our friends over at Anabolic Health)

Lithium Orotate Anxiety and Mood Disorders

One of the most common supplements for mood disorders is lithium orotate. And while it has always been associated with psychiatric medication, lithium is an alkali metal that comes from the same family as sodium and potassium. Originally discovered to treat manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder), it has been used for a long time to stabilize mood and treat a wide range of mood disorders.

The specific connection between lithium and how it works for mood disorders is inconclusive. Doctors believe, however, that lithium increases the synthesis and release of the happy hormone serotonin. It also does the opposite to the stress hormone norepinephrine.

But that’s not the only effect of lithium. Aside from improving emotional balance, lithium provides many excellent benefits including the following:

Brain protection – regular lithium treatment has shown to have neuro-protective effects. It increases Heat Shock Proteins which promotes the disposal of abnormal proteins and refolding of misfolded proteins in the brain. It also induces a certain molecule in the brain known as Bcl-2 that protects brain cells from dying.

Heart protection – it also increases the production of VEGF or vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein that promotes cell development and neurovascular remodeling. This has been found to help people recover faster from a stroke.

Improves brain function – Lithium increases N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) in the brain, which is correlated with IQ scores. It has also been found to create new neurons in the hippocampus, which is the brain’s memory center

Increases longevity – A 2011 study found a positive correlation between life-span and levels of lithium in drinking water, with the conclusion that long term low-dose exposure to lithium may exert anti-aging capabilities.

Lithium Orotate Benefits vs. Other Forms of Lithium

With these positive things about lithium, you may wonder why it still has a cloudy reputation until today. This is because in very high doses, the mineral can be toxic to the body. The body poorly absorbs pharmaceutical forms of lithium – lithium carbonate and lithium citrate – hence they’re always taken in huge doses to obtain a satisfactory effect. Individuals taking these versions have to be monitored and have their blood checked regularly to ensure that they do not reach toxic levels.

Lithium orotate anxiety treatment differs from prescription lithium. The orotate binder transports the lithium easily into the membranes of the cells, requiring a much lower dosage than prescription forms of lithium. For example, severe cases of depression may only require a dose of 150 mg of lithium orotate per day. This is far lower than 900 to 1800 mg of prescription lithium. Because intake is generally lower, there are no adverse side effects, making it safe for every day use.

We recommend this lithium orotate supplement for daily use to help balance moods.

Your Hormones and Your Mood

Of course, there are also other factors other than personality that increases your risk of having mood disorders. More than personality, your hormones play a very vital role in your overall physiological and psychological health. Hormonal imbalances, such as having low testosterone and high estrogen have been seen to cause depression and anxiety in men, quite similar to effects of estrogen imbalance in women – which is often evident during menses and menopause.

With this, it’s important to keep your hormones in check and maintain a state of balance in your body. Anabolic Health specializes in men’s hormonal health, while Women in Balance specializes in women’s hormonal health. You can visit these websites to find out more about hormones and the things you can do to maintain or restore hormonal balance to keep your body at optimum health.

The following posts are some of the most popular trending posts over at Anabolic Health:

8 Best Estrogen Blockers to Regain Lean Muscle Mass and Lose Fat

6 Best CLA Supplements: Reduce Body Fat and Prevent IT From Coming Back!

12 Best Hair Thickening Shampoos for Men: Thicken and Hide Your Thinning Hair

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INFJ Loneliness: Getting Alone Time as an Introvert

Sun, 10 Nov 2013 14:32:00 +0000

INFJs is one of the introverted types that needs the most alone time to recharge their energy. It mainly has to do with our inferior extroverted sensing function that quickly expels our energy and also not having an introverted sensing function in our stack to control and keep track of how we waste our energy. We don’t realize we are starting to run low until we are almost out of energy.

Before I knew I was an introvert and an INFJ I always considered this need for alone time as a fault in myself. I thought since most people don’t seem like this it must be something wrong with me. If you don’t have a lot of introverted friends (like I did) it might be hard to realize the real truth to it. Most introverts also don’t share to others how much time they spend alone and when, since in modern Western society people tend to presume that being an introvert makes you anti-social and a weirdo who does not like other people. However, this could not be any further away from the real truth.

Alone time gives me opportunity to rest, organize and develop my mind away from the external world that would otherwise demand all my resources and attention for interactions. Introverts are very focused and this is why it drains energy for us. We simply cannot rest and keep our mind organized at the same time as interacting with the rest of the world. You could see it as extroverts brains are a highway with many lanes going in each direction. Introverts brains on the other hand is a oneway road, we cannot go in all directions at once but wherever we want to go we get more across and no traffic jams.

The interesting part is that even when I am alone with a longterm partner or loved one like someone close to me from my family, it still doesn’t work as alone time. In order for me to feel at peace and recharge I need to be completely alone and free from external distractions and stimulation. In relationships this has proven a challenge for me in the past and I have yet to come up with a good solution. I think the best thing is finding somebody that shares or understands you as this and is not hurt by your need for independence and spending time alone occasionally.

When I finally get to be alone and focus my mind I almost get into a zen like state. It is in this state and environment that the magic happens and I’ve done some of my best work during my alone time. I think it’s about where we focus and project our energy and to boil it all down to the core, focusing all energy externally gets us depleted on the inside. Hence when we are alone we get to focus our energy inside ourselves and recharge internally. Almost like fueling a car, you cannot go to places without gas. This is our mode of functioning compared to extroverts who recharge each other instead of being able to recharge themselves like us. Either way the result in the end is the same and what is important is to plan your daily life to suit your energy needs. When you do this properly you will thrive and be ready to take on the world in your best possible mental state.

The post INFJ Loneliness: Getting Alone Time as an Introvert appeared first on INFJ Ramblings.

INFJ: The Introvert Dilemma

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 08:49:00 +0000

For most of my life I always wondered where those feelings of wanting to escape when other people approach you come from. Like that hesitation of answering when the phone calls, or not wanting to ask the cashier for help when you can’t find something in the store. For a long time I thought there was something wrong with me and I was the only person feeling this way. Well I could not have been anymore wrong then that. This is how life can be when you are an introvert.

Introverts often feel uncomfortable social environments but this does not mean we don’t like other people. This is purely the minds response in showing you that it is wasting energy in these situations. That you have to be careful with how much you spend so you don’t run out. As introverts we only regenerate energy from the inside, being alone in a tranquil environment or when doing something we love. Extroverts on the other hand regenerate their energy from interacting in the outside world and with other people. The more stimulation for them, the more energy. The less stimulation for us, the more energy. The reason for this is that introverted personalities have a inert biological trait of dopamine sensitivity which makes us happy with less stimulation. When introverts get to much stimulation they in turn get to much dopamine in their system and suffer instead. Extroverts don’t have this sensitivity.

Since the world is mostly focused on extroverted qualities and since this is how society tells us how to act, growing up as an introvert can be very confusing, especially as a teenager. I grew up in a country where introverts are more accepted, yet I still had to suffer consequences for being an introvert. The biggest dilemma is keeping people close when you don’t always want them close to you. To make relationships and friendships last when you don’t have the energy to see people all the time, and as often as extroverted people might want you to.

Being an INFJ I have to withdraw at times to do stuff I’m interested in and work on things alone because this is part of who I am. It makes me feel centered in my life and if I don’t get this alone time, I get stressed, frustrated and agitated. The problem is that even if I have a great time with other people for a long time and don’t think I need to be alone, I will hit the wall of no energy left at some point and need to withdraw. Even if I was enjoying myself. Explaining how this works for other people has always been a challenge.

The best thing has been to make sure you have a bunch of introverted friends that feel the same way as you do. Extroverted friends is of course good in their own way as well to keep you balanced. You should just make sure that even when you can’t see all your friends at times, keep in touch with them so your withdrawal doesn’t send them the wrong idea. In relationships it is a good idea just to explain to your partner that you are introverted and that you need alone time, which has nothing to do with them personally. The world is an extrovert playground and people tend to think bad things about introverts because most do not understand what it really means, especially extroverts. Many introverts do not understand themselves either and it is important to know that this is a trait your are born with biologically, and something that you cannot completely change. When you accept this and start to live your life and build your relationships on who you are, you will be on your way to living a happier life.

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INFJ Introvert: On Introverted Problems and Insomnia

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:49:00 +0000

For some time now I’ve been thinking about my sleeping patterns and ways that I would like to improve them. From what I heard from other introverts it seems like introverted people are more night owl kind of types then extroverts. We tend to want to stay awake later and wake up later in the morning. As an introvert I feel it’s pretty understandable since night is the time of the day with the least noise and distractions since most other people are sleeping. It is a time of the day where you can relax and wind down without other people disturbing you. Since we get our energy from alone time, it’s perfect for introverts.

Extroverts tend to rise up earlier in the morning which also makes a lot of sense since they get their energy from interacting and being around other people. Daytime is of course the best time for this and rising up early gives you a head start. There are some articles online saying that early risers are the most productive. I think there is some truth to this but I would also say that it mostly has to do with how productive you are in general and how you manage your time. The nice thing about rising up early is that your energy deposits are at their peak level. But as an introvert and from other introverts I know, we tend to be people that are slow started in the morning. It takes some time until we really ‘awake’ and are in our most functioning state. Hence maybe nighttime is a more suitable time of the day for some of us to do our best work.

Being slow started in the morning is one of the things I always wanted to change. Usually on normal working days it takes me until after lunch before I feel ‘fresh’ and at my peak energy level. The hours following waking up in the morning, I feel slow and tired and in the past I turned to coffee as my savior. I don’t think it’s connected to my sleeping patterns since they are consistent of 7-8 hours sleep each day, maybe this is just part of the introverted nature. As a side note to being slow in the morning the last couple of months I found this amazing medicinal herb called Ashwagandha which has helped me with this tremendously. I now take a teaspoon of the herb before going to bed every night and wake up full of energy, it also makes me fall asleep quicker in the evening. You can read more about it on these links:

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/health-benefits-ashwagandha/

http://mr-ginseng.com/en/ashwagandha/

I buy this brand of Ashwagandha:

Gaia Herbs Ashwagandha Root, 60 Liquid Phyto-Capsules

Introverts do seem to need more sleep then most extroverts to function. If I sleep less then 6 hours, I can’t function like normally and it affects my mood a lot. Most of my extroverted friends doesn’t seem to be affected by lack of sleep to the same degree, and same with hangovers. My theory is that since we introverts collect our energy from inside, and sleep deprivation affects our body and mind, lack of sleep will have a biggest effect on us. Extroverts collect their energy from the external world so it’s much easier for them to keep up a good mood and motivation even though they feel bad.

The last year I’ve been changing my pre sleep rituals to more suit my personality and it has greatly improved my life. I no longer use the computer or watch tv before going to bed. No electronic devices 2 hours before bed has worked to get me relaxed in the evening. Not only does the decrease in stimulation work, but also because most modern led screens imitate a light similar to that of the sun, which prevents Melantonin to be released in the body. Melantonin is the body’s natural sleep hormone and it is released when it starts to get dark. I now read books instead the last few hours a day and these two things has literally cured most of the insomnia I suffered from.

Insomnia seems like a common things for introverts and especially INFx types and HSPs (Highly Sensitive People). We are easy stimulated and even the smallest things can keep us awake at night. Like sounds, watching to much tv before bed, having a lot to do the next day or other things that are bothering us which we can’t stop thinking about. Overtime at work has been my biggest contributor to my insomnia because when I work late my mind is racing from overwork, and then it usually takes a couple of hours for it to cool down. The problem arises when you don’t get home until late and have to get up early the next day.

I plan on trying to become an early riser to see if it might help with my insomnia issues, making me more tired in the evening. I’ll update with a post at a later time concerning the results from my experiments. I think waking up early can be a good thing for some people but for introverts I’m not yet convinced. I’ll leave you guys for now with this great article:

Early Riser or Night Owl: Why It Doesn’t Really Matter

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/early-riser-or-night-owl-why-it-doesnt-really-matter.html

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INFJ Weaknesses: Managing Your Energy

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:34:00 +0000

In this post I want to talk about Energy Management as an INFJ and a HSP (Highly Sensitive Person). Most of my life I’ve felt that I have far less energy compared to other people. I get tired faster and feel tired a lot of the time. It drains me interacting with people for long periods and being in environments with lots of sensory stimulation like loud sounds, bright lights and lots of people. I can still do it but for periods of time only and I need to know that I can withdraw at any given time I want or I will get stressed. In life this is easier said than done and in most situations it doesn’t work out this way. From a INFJ perspective I can see that we have these amazing skills like intuition that just flows naturally, and this is the price we pay for having a mind that always gathers data and never shuts off when we want it to.

I’ve tried to find good solutions that helps me compensate for this and makes living my life easier. There are no solutions, you can’t and should not want to change who you are, but you can help yourself in changing the life you live to better suit who you are as a person. I used to have tons of anxiety everyday, stressed and depressed and it even affected my health and body. My blood pressure was always high, it affected my balance, repeating infections, sinus problems and I had insomnia on a daily basis. If you are familiar with adrenal fatigue this is what I am talking about. Being an INFJ with all of these issues as well really took it’s toll since we are more sensitive by nature. So one day I just decided it has to stop.

Exercise & Diet:

What has helped me change the most is exercise and diet. I now try to go to the gym, run or walk outside at least every second day. It’s gives me more energy for coping and I would say my daily anxieties is less then 50% of what they used to be because of it. I get stressed less, have no issues with insomnia, OCD tendencies doesn’t affect me as much and I feel calmer as a person. It makes a huge difference and brings out my positive qualities more and helps keep the negative ones at bay.

I also changed my diet to a Pescatarian one (vegetarian but eat fish). This is not something I recommend everyone to do. I mean if you enjoy meat you definitely should eat it, life is to short not to do what you want. But I can speak of how it helped me and if you feel comfortable with the idea I suggest you try it. I’m not a believer in that meat is completely unhealthy, but I think as a vegetarian you eat better overall and you also improve your body overall. Since you get less protein not eating meat I try to compensate for this by eating more fish, eggs, tofu, beans and also drink protein shakes when I work out. I’ve been on this diet for a year and since then I lowered my blood pressure, lost 5 kg in weight (fat) and gained muscle mass, lowered my BMI, hair and nails quality has improved and faster wound healing. I also improved my vision to the extent that I need less correction on my contact lenses. Of course all of this improved my quality of life as an INFJ and I feel more comfortable in my body and health which gives me more peace of mind. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarianism

Supplements & Herbals:

I tried many supplements and herbs to improve my life and I wanna outline some of my favorites. First of all I use the most common supplements on a daily basis. Like fish oil and probiotic. I don’t take a multi vitamin since I do juicing instead which also gets me a lot of pythonutrients not available in pills. I drink a lot of green tea daytime and roobios or caffeine free tea in the evening before sleep. The theanin in green tea really calms me and helps me focus, I get less anxiety and become more productive. Theanin is scientifically proven to promote Alpha brainwaves:

http://www.veria.com/herbs-supplements/l-theanine-increase-your-brain-waves-into-a-calm-relaxed-state

I have about 3-5 cups a day and green tea is also one of the most healthy things you can ingest, containing antioxidants that help improve overall health and liver function. Roobios tea also contain antioxidants but no theanine. I drink it in the evening since it’s caffeine free and helps me sleep better.

I buy this Theanine:
Now Foods, L-Theanine 200 Mg, Veg-Capsules, 60-Count

For stress management and when things get extra though in life I take a herb called Rhodiola Rosea. This is my favorite supplement and over here in Europe it sometimes goes by the name Arctic Root (not to be confused with Siberian Ginseng). Rhodiola acts as an adaptogen in the body and helps it cope by balancing out neurotransmitters and hormone levels in the body. You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodiola_rosea

In Scandinavia and other parts of the world it has been used for centuries to cope with harsh climates and stressful lives. The Russians used it in the cold war to improve health and stamina in it’s soldiers. It’s considered safe and has close to no side effects. I use it for stress control at work and it really makes a big difference. Increases your mental capacity and overall mood while making you less prone to irritation and stress.

I buy this Rhodiola:
Gaia Herbs – Siberian Rhodiola Rosea, 60 capsules

Sleep is very important and I have learned that as an INFJ it makes all the difference. Our introverted intuition needs sleep to reboot, process and save up the data we gathered in the day. Without sleep it quickly builds up and results in overload in the end. I simply don’t function without enough sleep compared to other personalities that seems to be able to do it. I think this has to do with the intuition part and what side of the brain you use the most. Here is a cool and quick test to find out which brain side in you is dominant: http://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/competitions/left-brain-vs-right-brain/story-e6frg46u-1111114517613

For periods of stress and lots of exercise I supplement with Magnesium before going to bed. Magnesium helps relax the muscles in your body and is also needed to regulate the stress hormone cortisol. I highly recommend that you make sure you get enough magnesium in your diet, but to much is not good either. To much cortisol can have a bad influence on your mood and wellbeing. http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/669/MAGNESIUMThe_Anti-Stress_Mineral.aspx

I buy this Magnesium:
NOW Foods Magnesium Capsules, 180 Capsules / 400mg

In periods with a lot of overtime work I often have trouble relaxing and falling a sleep at night. Lacking sleep can be really bad at these times since when you work a lot you need to function on an even higher level then usual. If you don’t get enough sleep you never can, and it turns into a downward spiral. Supplementing with small doses of Melatonin before going to bed helps me fall asleep quicker and gives me a more restful sleep. Taking Melatonin in the evening can make you experience a bit of tiredness in the morning the next day, but only for an hour or two. However, in times of stress and overtime I think it doesn’t outweigh the perks of getting a good nights rest instead. Melatonin is the natural sleep hormone produced in the body so it is not medicated or addictive like some other sleeping pills can be. I recommend you don’t take it longer then 2 weeks in a row so your body doesn’t get used to the extra Melatonin levels. You can also use it to re-adjust quicker from jet lag. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

I buy this Melatonin:
NOW Foods Melatonin 5mg Vcaps, 180 Capsules

Here are some tips that are not INFJ related but you might find interesting anyway:

A small side note on Melatonin is that it also increases the time of the sleep state when you dream, so you might experience a lot more intense dreams while taking Melatonin. Some people like it while others do not. I think dreams are a important way for the brain to process thoughts and I find it quite enjoyable. If you do as well you can supplement with Choline before going to bed, which will increase the vividness of your dreams. Choline is a essential nutrient normally found in cheese so eating a lot of cheese before going to bed would give the same result. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choline

I buy this Choline:
NOW Foods Choline & Inositol Caps, 100 ct

If you have problems with circulation in your body, for example you get cold feet or hands when siting still etc. Then I recommend supplementing with L-arginine and Pycnogenol (pine bark extract).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arginine

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_pycnogenol

I buy these brands:
NOW Foods L-Arginine 1000mg, 120 Tablets
NOW Foods Pycnogenol 30mg, 150 Capsules

Both of these also improves your health in many ways more and can be used to treat certain health conditions. Mostly they help with blood circulation and micro circulation in the body which gives better protein and nitrous oxide synthesis. This is beneficial for performance in exercise and sexually.

Maca is another herb with similar properties in increasing sexual performance and gives you more energy, you can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maca_(plant)

I buy this Maca:
HealthWorks-Wild Organic Peruvian Maca Root Powder Wildcrafted Raw Superfood 1 Lb

I hope that some of you find these tips helpful and feel free to ask anything in the comments below!

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